


The Mighty Fall

by CeiphiedKnight



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, F/M, Fluff, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-18 21:20:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7331053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeiphiedKnight/pseuds/CeiphiedKnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Adrien and Marinette weren't friends?  </p><p>In fact, what if Marinette couldn't stand Adrien?</p><p>What if Ladybug and Chat Noir were more than friends?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mighty Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Based on an idea by @riskpig, who gets all the credit! Here's her original post, where I have preserved CAPSLOCK. XD
> 
> "WAIT THINK ABOUT THIS THOUGH.
> 
> ADRIEN TRIES TO EXPLAIN THE GUM INCIDENT BUT MARINETTE REFUSES TO HEAR HIM OUT AND CHAT NOIR STUMBLES HIS WAY INTO DATING LADYBUG AND MARINETTE DOESN’T KNOW THAT SHE HATES HER BOYFRIEND AND ADRIEN DOESN’T KNOW HIS GIRLFRIEND HATES HIM?"

Marinette didn’t think of herself as a cruel person. Far from it, in fact! But she was quite done with being bullied by Chloe or any of her lackies. It wasn’t going to fly anymore. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was the master of her own fate. She wouldn’t buckle; she wouldn’t fold like a napkin! The old Marinette had disappeared when she’d saved Paris.

At least, that’s what she kept telling herself when she refused to accept Adrien Agreste’s apology.

The old Marinette would have given in because he seemed sweet, almost demure, and she didn’t know for sure if he was lying about the gum.

But the new Marinette…the Ladybug Marinette…stood her ground.

“Listen,” she said after Adrien finished explaining his side of the situation. He was watching her from underneath his umbrella, looking like a lost little kid. But Marinette stayed strong. “You’re new, and I get that it can be hard starting at a new school…but you have to understand that Chloe has been torturing me for _years_. She finds something about me personally offensive, even though I’ve never done anything to her. And you’re her friend, so I can’t believe a word you’re saying. I’ve been burned too many times before.”

Adrien’s face dropped, and Marinette felt a twinge of guilt. He looked like she’d just slapped him and kicked his puppy.

A clap of thunder rolled, and Adrien reached out with his umbrella.

“Here,” he said. “I have a car waiting and you look like you could use it.”

Marinette frowned. If this were Chloe, she would offer the umbrella and then pull it away when Marinette reached for it.

“No thanks,” she finally said.

Adrien’s eyes were downcast as he turned and walked away from her.

Once his car had pulled away from the school, Tikki flew up and scolded Marinette. “That wasn’t very nice. You could have given him a chance to prove himself.”

Marinette frowned. “I could have…but I’m tired of being taken for a fool.”

With that, Marinette left the shelter of the school and began making her soggy way home.

Master Fu stood back and watched the exchange from under his own umbrella. Marinette would never have recognized him, though she may have questioned the kwami floating next to him.

“What do you think, Master?” Wayzz asked in a tone that was neither judgmental nor approving.

Fu used his free hand to scratch his chin.

Finally, the Great Guardian smirked and said, “I still believe they are made for each other.”

 

**

 

“Have I told you lately how magnificent you are?”

“Yes, Chat,” Ladybug said with a giggle. “You’ve told me about ten times in the last ten minutes.”

“Only one compliment per minute? I have to step up my game,” Chat said with a wink.

The two heroes of Paris were relaxing comfortably on the top deck of the Eiffel Tower, which was a welcome relief after hours of patrol and stopping petty thieves and some violent protests. Not that they couldn’t handle it, but Paris needed to have more chill.

“Hey, Ladybug,” Chat said, once more breaking their comfortable silence, “Do you think that you and I…that maybe we were meant to be together?”

Ladybug shrugged. “I don’t think I believe in fate and that sort of thing. But I do believe in love, and friendship, and partnership. Which we have.”

Chat turned to her, his eyes wide. “You love me?”

Ladybug froze, the realization of what she’d said settling around her like a blanket.

She knew she was blushing, but she answered in a steady voice, “Yeah, I guess I do.”

Chat Noir said nothing more as he leaned in and captured her lips.

**

 

Alya’s Ladyblog was blowing up in the best possible way, and it made Marinette nervous.

Alya had made it her life’s goal to unmask Ladybug and Chat Noir, which was only a problem because Alya was Marinette’s best friend, and Marinette was Ladybug.

She was glad every day that she and Chat didn’t know each other in their civilian lives. It would have made things even more complicated. It was hard enough trying to hide their blossoming relationship from the Ladyblog, but then to try dating without the masks? It would have been a nightmare. At any moment, Papillon could decide to use one of them against the other.

Marinette just hoped they would find him soon, and defeat him, so she and Chat could finally be together.

“Attention class!” Madame Bustier was shouting over the usual morning ruckus. “Your History project will be done in pairs, which I have assigned you.”

Everyone groaned.

“Please not Chloe, please not Chloe…” Marinette chanted under her breath.

“Marinette and Adrien!” Madame Bustier announced.

Marinette saw Adrien stiffen in his seat in front of her.

Great.

 

**

 

Adrien was doing his best, but Marinette was still treating him like a leper.

He’d invited her over to work on the project at his house, hoping to prove his sincerity by being a gracious host, but she wasn’t having any of it.

“Are you sure you don’t want anything to eat? I have American sodas! How about videogames?”

Marinette’s demeanor shifted slightly at the mention of videogames, but she still shook her head.

“Sorry, but I really shouldn’t. We’re supposed to be working.”

Adrien didn’t even try to hide his disappointment.

The two worked for a solid hour without saying more than a few words to each other, but were (mercifully) interrupted by screams wafting in through Adrien’s open windows.

The two teenagers exchanged a look and bolted toward the windows, leaning up and out to see what the disturbance was.

Adrien gave a sigh of relief when he saw that it was an akuma.

“Listen, Marinette…” he began.

“…I should go,” Marinette interjected.

Adrien nodded, since getting Marinette out of his house was crucial to his being able to transform into Chat Noir.

Marinette grabbed her things and bolted.

Adrien didn’t waste time wondering why she was in such a hurry.

 

**

 

“Do you think we know each other in our civilian lives?” Chat Noir asked as he and Ladybug took a quick break on top of Notre-Dame. They only had a couple of minutes before their transformations dropped, but they tried to steal moments together when they could.

Without answering, Ladybug pushed herself up onto the tips of her toes and kissed him. It was a long, deep kiss. It spoke of promises and no small amount of fear.

When they finally broke apart, their final warning beeps were being carried by the wind.

“I think I’d know my own boyfriend, with or without a mask,” she said with a grin. 

With that, she bounded away from him.

 

**

 

The Ladyblog had caught their rooftop kiss.

Marinette was beside herself. Now Papillon would know to target one of them to get to the other. He would surely use one of them as bait, now.

And she couldn’t even ask Alya to take the photo down, because she had no good reason to give her. She’s already tried “what about their privacy?” but to no avail.

After school, Marinette bounded down the steps, two at a time, just needing to get away from all of the gossip. She’d had to listen to people’s theories regarding her love life (well, Ladybug’s love life) all day, and she was sick from it.

She ducked into the first alley she came to, and transformed.

She just had to get away from people, and clear her head.

She headed for the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was their place. It was where they’d had their first kiss.

She didn’t expect Chat Noir to already be there.

“Bad day, kitty?” she asked, putting on a brave face.

With hunched shoulders and a sigh, Chat said, “We really messed up.”

Ladybug sat down next to him, and watched their legs dangle over the sides of the platform.

Finally, she said, “This is just a minor setback. The sooner we find and defeat Papillon, the sooner we can get on with our lives. Together.”

She reached down and laced her gloves fingers with his.

“I love you,” Chat said, gazing into her eyes with pain reflecting in his own. “I wouldn’t be able to stand it if something happened to you.”

“Shhh,” she cooed, inching even closer to him. “Everything will be fine.”

Chat wrapped an arm around her waist and pulling her into his lap.

“I’m sure you’re right,” he said.

They dozed off, still holding hands.

 

**

 

“Where’s Adrien?” Marinette asked the following morning.

“I think he’s sick of something,” Nino said, turning around in his seat to answer Marinette. “I guess you’ll be presenting your project alone.”

Marinette huffed and grumbled, “He probably did this on purpose.”

Nino opened his mouth, but whatever comment he was about to make died on his lips.

“Class,” Madame Bustier said, running into the classroom with wrinkled clothes and mussed hair. “There’s an on-going akuma attack, so I need everyone to file out calmly and go straight home!”

Marinette shot up and bolted out the door without another word.

 

**

 

“Where’s Chat?” Ladybug mumbled to herself as she hid in the shadow of a nearby alley, watching the latest akuma.

This akuma, Dame d'honneur, was cackling from the rooftop of the Grand Paris Hotel, where her best friend was apparently getting married. 

Not that her friend was getting married at the moment, because at the moment her maid of honor was dangling a very frightened Adrien Agreste from the hotel’s pool level…which was very high up.

Ladybug knew she would save him, no matter what. Since the gum incident, he had never been cruel to her, so she would rescue him without fail. After all, she still saved Chloe even when the girl was the one who had caused the akuma.

Yes, getting Adrien to safety was her number one priority.

Although, it would be easier for her to do if Chat showed up!

Finally, Ladybug couldn't wait anymore. Dame d'honneur was announcing that Gabriel Agreste's son was about to become a splat on the pavement if the designer didn't show up and apologize for not carrying the dress she had wanted to wear in her size. Something about only catering to models and how it was unfair, so she ended up in a lesser dress that looked bad on her.

Ladybug frowned at that, because as she looked around, she saw no sign of Gabriel Agreste. Wouldn't any other man have already shown up because his son was being threatened?

She definitely had to act, even without her partner.

She did some parkour off a couple of nearby buildings, and landed squarely on the rooftop deck.

"This isn't even your wedding!" Ladybug yelled, distracting the akuma victim. "And yet you made it about yourself and your own insecurities!" 

"Give me your Miraculous, Ladybug!" the woman screamed, not wasting any time. "Or this brat is going to see the FALL line, personally!"

Ladybug face-palmed and groaned, "Chat's not even here and I still can't escape bad puns..."

"LADYBUG!" Adrien called out for her, making her attention snap to her classmate.

"Hang tight!" She yelled, then abruptly realized what she'd said. 

But Adrien actually laughed. What a strange kid.

Ladybug was much faster than the akuma, due to the bulky gown she wore. She zipped around Dame d'honneur and grabbed the silk sash that was tied around Adrien. Her suit gave her extra strength, so she pulled as hard as she could, dragging Adrien back up onto the deck, and then untying the other end of the sash from the railing where he had hung.

"You have to untie my arms!" Adrien said, frantically looking between Ladybug and the akuma.

"I will once I take care of this," Ladybug assured him, then took off toward the akuma.

"PLAGG!" she heard Adrien scream as Dame d'honneur shot a bouquet of nothing but thorns at Ladybug's head. "TRANSFORM ME!"

Both Ladybug and the akuma had been distracted by the boy's strange words, and it was only after a flash of green light that Ladybug realized what had happened.

Before her, her partner had finally arrived.

"Ohmygod," Ladybug gasped.

"Surprise?" Chat said, bashfully.

Ladybug shook her head, as if the physical action would knock this most recent reveal out of her memory.

"Akuma first," Ladybug finally said. "Then we need to talk."

 

**

Luckily, akuma victims never remember anything from the time they become compelled, so Dame d'honneur (or Antoinette Deveraux as she was also known) had no memory of Chat Noir's civilian identity.

Ladybug, who was the physical embodiment of good luck, was far less lucky than Antoinette.

Ladybug and Chat Noir hid in the bell tower of Notre-Dame to have their talk, as Ladybug's Miraculous counted down.

"I'm sorry," Chat said first. "I should have told you a long time ago."

Ladybug shook her head. "No, you shouldn't have. Because I didn't want to know. You're not at fault...for anything."

Chat's eyes narrowed a bit in confusion. "What does 'anything' entail, exactly?"

"Anything. As in, all things. It's all my fault. I fell in love with you, while at the same time misjudging you terribly."

"Hey," Chat said, closing the distance between them in two long strides, and gently cupping her cheek. "I don't blame you, Marinette. You were just trying to protect your heart."

"I know, but I was wrong to..."

Marinette stopped mid-word, and gaped at him.

"Wait...you know who I am?!"

Chat smiled softly, then dropped his transformation. Marinette felt her cheek burning where his now bare hand rested upon her skin.

"Of course I do," he said. "How could I not notice that the lion-hearted girl in my class was also My Lady?"

With one long exhale through her nose, Marinette dropped her transformation, too.

"Adrien," she tried again. "I was so wrong about you. I wouldn't blame you if you hate me for how I acted. I was no better than Chloe."

"Hey now," Adrien said, moving the pad of his thumb across her lips. "Don't be silly. I could never hate you. Although, isn't there some saying about the thin line between love and hate?"

Marinette dared a laugh, while also feeling tears spring to her eyes.

Adrien slowly pulled her face closer to his own, and his breath was warm and sweet as he said, "I love you, whether you're my Lady, my Princess, or just my friend."

"How about all of the above?" Marinette said against his lips.

When they kissed this time, it was without secrets or fear.

 

**THE END.**

**Author's Note:**

> Admittedly, it was hard writing Marinette as being mean. She has her moments in canon, but poor precious sunshine catboy didn't deserve this. ;___;


End file.
